So the thai government just announced a significant new way to stay in Thailand and be more than a tourist. It’s called the destination Thailand or DTV visa and may be just the right visa for you if you want to make Thailand your home base or you want to take a step in that direction. The goal is to attract foreigners and their families to the kingdom for six months to a year in order to grow the Thai economy. Heres what we know and dont yet know about this compelling new visa opportunity. First, we know its for folks over the age of 20 who want to experience Thailand for more than a holiday. This includes remote workers such as digital nomads, consultants, or freelancers. It also includes people with a particular interest in the Kingdom or who have a need to be here. The DTV visa will encompass Muay Thai boxing students, students of thai cuisine.
It will also cover you if you are seeking extended medical treatment in the Kingdom or attending seminars or cultural events. We don’t yet know if there are any excluded activities or what form of proof of remote work or participation in a school or activity will be required. Second, we know that the government fee will be 10,000 Thai baht or about $275. 3rd, we know that you can stay for up to six months at a time and this stay can be extended for another six months with the payment of an additional 10,000 thai baht fee. We don’t know if you’ll be required to leave the country after an extended stay and if so, for how long. We know that as with almost all long term stay visas, you’ll need to show financial viability. For the DTV visa, it’s 500,000 thai baht, or about $13,600. This is significantly lower than the financial requirements for similar visa programs in Malaysia and Japan.
We don’t know what proof of finances will be required with other thai visas. Financial information must be in Thai or English and can include bank statements and tax forms. We know that once granted, the DTV visa is valid for five years. We don’t know if that five year term can be extended. And finally, we’re expecting to learn much more about the application process, including whether submissions will be online and if they’ll be filed with immigration or a Royal Thai Embassy or consulate. This is the information we have for now, and as the program is implemented over the coming months, qualifications, conditions and exclusions are likely to change. So please treat this video as a starting point to think about your opportunity to make Thailand your home base for a while. For now, what is known is that the Thai government has announced its commitment to making the land of smiles even more accessible for short and long term visitors.
If you’re interested in learning more about your Thailand long term stay options, we’d be happy to host a free consultation. You can reserve time on our website or by writing to us at hello@btisolutions.co. If you found this helpful, please subscribe like and share. And thanks for watching.
